Male Suicide

At some point in most people's lives, a suicide of a close friend, colleague or family member will touch us and tragically suicide is not as rare as we might think.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate there are 793,000 suicide deaths per year worldwide with suicide being the largest killer of men under 45, 15.5 deaths per 100,000 or 84 a week.
The suicide rate for women in the UK is 4.9 suicides per 100,000 and that is a trend repeated in many other countries around the World with men almost four times more likely to die by suicide,
The Foundation for Suicide Prevention (FSP) explain that whilst suicide is a hugely sensitive, complex issue with a tangled multitude of causes, it is difficult to fully understand the reasons behind it and why men are more likely to take their lives then women.
One reason put forward by the FSP is that women are more likely to share their problems and ask for help than men who tend to bottle them up and not seek help, especially in cases of mental health where men try to 'self-medicate' which takes the form of substance and alcohol use, which can deepen depression and increase impulsive behaviours.
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) claim other risk factors include the economic downturn that results in increased unemployment, a 2015 study found that for every 1% increase in unemployment there is a 0.79% increase in the suicide rate due to financial worries which can exacerbate mental health issues.
There are no straightforward fixes for an issue this complex but something all the experts appear to agree on is that men need to talk more about how they're feeling.
The message needs to be put across that however dark things may seem, your family, friends and colleagues would always prefer a living you regardless of how down, moody or depressed you are to dealing with the devastating and life changing circumstances of your death for those you leave behind.